Saavik: “Permission to speak candidly, sir?”
Kirk: “Granted.”
Saavik: “I don’t believe this was a fair test of my command abilities.”
Kirk: “And why not?”
Saavik: “Because...there was no way to win.”
Kirk: “A no-win situation is a possibility ever commander may face. Had that not occurred to you?”
Saavik: “No, sir. It had not.”
Kirk: “How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life, wouldn’t you say?”
Saavik: “As I indicated, Admiral, that thought had no occurred to me.”
Kirk: “Well, now you have something new to think about. Carry on.”
Saavik chooses this moment to ask Kirk how he beat the Kobayashi Maru test. Between bites of an apple, Kirk reveals that he reprogrammed the simulator so it was possible to win. Kirk was the only cadet to beat the no-win scenario, McCoy says.
“He cheated,” scoffs David.
“I changed the conditions of the test,” Kirk retorts. “Got a commendation for original thinking. I don’t like to lose.”